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Drastic drop in supply.... Help.

My second son is 11 weeks old, I go back to work on monday(2 days) we were all sick with sinus infections last weekend. On Monday my dr put me on amoxicillin. I noticed yesterday a drop in my milk supply but today it's horrible. For the last three and half week I pump each feeding so that I can add cereal to his bottles to help him keep as much down as possible. He has severe reflux, we have tried everything! I normally pump 9-11 oz at first in the morning then 5-6 each time after that. He eats 3 oz every two hrs. Today at different times I have pumped I only got, 2.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 oz.... I'm freaking out. I have started lots of fluids, eating oatmeal. Avoiding chocolate. And I'm pumping a min of 15 min ( double sides) every two hrs. I even let him nurse alittle after his bottle the last time and then pumped.... I know I have to do this for at least three consecutive days to see a difference so I'm very worried cause I won't be able to pump this often on Monday when works starts, please help any suggestions r welcomed

Re: Drastic drop in supply.... Help.

Am I reading right, that you're giving your 11 week old cereal in his bottles? Cause it's recommended that babies have only breastmilk until 6 months, and I don't think you're supposed to put cereal in a bottle due to it being a choking hazard. That said, I wonder if maybe he's filling up on cereal and not nursing as much, thus providing you with decreased stimulation? I'm sure some of the more experienced mamas will be able to chime in....

Re: Drastic drop in supply.... Help.

We had to add cereal per dr instructions. Me and dr did everything we could think of before we had to resort to pumping every feeding and adding cereal in combination with him having Prevacid twice a day. So to say his reflux is severe is an understatement. It was out of control, multiple medical tests, ultrasounds and upper gi showed no other cause for his projectile vomit except reflux so we had to do something to thicken the milk alittle to help him keep it down. With that said though, he took 3oz of reg breast milk with no cereal and still ate every two hrs and with the cereal he still only goes two hrs so I don't think him filling up is the problem. For 7 weeks we tried everything we could think of it didn't work so three weeks ago we started adding the cereal even though I was opposed to it myself. I really think its the sickness and meds I was taking even though my dr thought it would be fine. I just need to best way to bring my supply back up the quickest.

Re: Drastic drop in supply.... Help.

Mama, I don't mean to sound dubious about the reflux, because I know that reflux is real and can cause real distress for babies and their families. But when I hear that a mom has been pumping 9-11 oz in the morning and 5-6 oz during the day, I have to wonder if the oversupply angle has been thoroughly explored. What I mean is that the amounts you have been pumping are excessive. Babies typically take in only 2-4 oz of breastmilk at a feeding. When a mom can get significantly more than that, her supply is in excess of the baby's needs, and excess supply can cause symptoms that are often mistaken for reflux, including gas, discomfort, green poops, frequent and voluminous spit-up, and fussiness related to feedings. The important difference between reflux and oversupply is pain and weight gain. A baby who is in severe pain or who isn't gaining adequate weight- that's a baby who may need GI tests and medications. IDK about thickened feeds- on the one hand, they seem to be very commonly recommended. On the other, I am not sure how much data there is to back them up!

Okay, all that being said, let's talk about supply! Your pump amounts are now more in line with the average. Babies need only about 1.5 oz of milk per hour of separation, so women who pump in place of feedings often get just 2-4 oz every few hours. If the amounts you're currently pumping are not enough, here's what you do:
- Troubleshoot your pump- do you have the right size flanges? Is the pump in good working order?
- Make sure you have the right pump. A mom who is working full time needs a good double electric pump- think Medela Pump in Style, something in that range. If you have the or something like it and it isn't doing the job, consider renting a hospital grade pump (if financially feasible!)
- Increase your number of pumping sessions. A lot of moms find that in order to make up shortfalls from pump output at work, they need to pump after feedings when they are at home with their babies.
- Review your contraception choices. If you are using hormonal contraception, that could be putting a damper on your supply.
- Try milk-increasing herbs like fenugreek, blessed thistle, and oatmeal- but do not expect them to be more effective than increased time and effort with the pump.

Re: Drastic drop in supply.... Help.

Ok regarding the reflux I myself think it is over diagnosed and just a label that many put on a fussy baby. But after different meds and ultrasounds to rule out pyloric stenosis we saw a specialist and did a upper gi which confirmed on screen ( I saw it myself) that it is reflux.

I do not take contraceptives.

I have a double electric pump. Medela pump in style!

I am pumping every two hrs, that's as often as I can. He eats every two hours, then I pump then it time to put him down for a nap and I have a three yr old to tend to. Every two hrs is the most I can do.

I wet to five stores this morning looking for fenugreek. None had it. I'm eating oatmeal and popcorn like it going out of style lol

Re: Drastic drop in supply.... Help.

I'm in the same situation...I've trouble shot my Medela, and eating and drinking all that is suggested but after a month, my milk production is still at most 14-20 cc...Let me know if anything worked for you please! Thank you

Re: Drastic drop in supply.... Help.

Fenugreek is often available in pill form at health food stores. You may also be able to find whole fenugreek seed- generally fresher and much cheaper than the pills- in the "ethnic" foods area of your grocery store, or in an Indian or Middle Eastern grocery (look for "methi" or "hilbeh"- spellings may vary), or online.

So after you nurse, you're pumping and getting 1.5-2.5 oz? If so, that's not at all bad, because you're pumping in addition to nursing, not instead of nursing. When you pump instead of nursing, you're likely to get quite a bit more milk.

Have you experimented with different sizes of shields? Sometimes that can make a big difference in output. And is your pump new, or is it a hand-me-down?